NFL

Beachum a quick study at center for Steelers

PITTSBURGH (AP)

Kelvin Beachum wasn't built to play center. Sorry, grow up the
biggest kid on the block and you tend to get stereotyped by
football coaches.

So Beachum spent his childhood at tackle, where a quiet kid from
Texas could use his frame to push defensive linemen around with
relative ease.

Eight plays into last Sunday's 16-9 loss to Tennessee, that all
changed. One minute, the Pittsburgh Steelers reserve offensive
lineman/was standing on the sideline watching the Steelers drive
deep into Tennessee territory, the next, he was snapping the ball
to Ben Roethlisberger after Pro Bowl standout Maurkice Pouncey left
on a cart, his right knee mangled and his season already over.

While Roethlisberger knelt on the field, his hands on his head,
Beachum fired off a couple of snaps trying to make sure he knew
what he was doing. There weren't any jitters. It all happened so
quickly, he didn't have the luxury of getting nervous.

''There no time to go through the emotions or feel your way
through,'' Beachum said. ''You have to just go play football.''

And for all the chaos that surrounded Pittsburgh's forgettable
opening weekend, Beachum's ability to handle a position he hadn't
played since Pee Wee is cause for optimism heading into Monday
night's game at Cincinnati.

''Beachum is going to do well,'' guard Ramon Foster said.
''We're going to help him as much as possible. The operation should
be the same.''

Even if the guy who usually runs the switchboard is scheduled to
undergo surgery on Thursday to repair torn ligaments in his knee.
While the Steelers preach a ''next man up'' philosophy, there's
little doubt Pouncey's absence on the field will be felt.

The loss might be even more acute in a locker room where the
24-year-old commands the respect of players a decade older. He is
the only one of Pittsburgh's four captains on the younger side of
30, a testament to his leadership in the huddle and his magnetic
presence on the sideline.

Given a full week to prepare for the Bengals, Beachum is
confident he'll be a capable fill-in thanks in part to Pouncey's
guidance. Members of the offensive line meet at Pouncey's house
every Thursday, where they watch film and get massages.

During those sessions Pouncey will hit the clicker and point out
what he sees. Beachum is a rapt student. He's picked up the line
calls quickly and studies the assignments at all five line
positions. It's that cerebral approach that led the Steelers to
take a seventh-round flier on Beachum in 2012.

''Kelvin knows his stuff,'' Roethlisberger said.

Beachum beat the odds to make the 53-man roster. By the end, he
was starting at right tackle. The path from survivor to contributor
is one he couldn't have made without Pouncey.

Beachum likened Pouncey to a ''big brother'' even though Beachum
is actually six weeks older.

''He's been in the league for awhile,'' Beachum said. ''He can
really talk to you about things.''

That includes cramming for a test he never expected to take.
Beachum spent portions of training camp working at tight end, a
wrinkle in offensive coordinator Todd Haley's system designed to
give the line another thumper in short-yardage situations.

While Beachum politely says ''no'' when asked if there is a call
that would allow him to go out as an eligible receiver, the smile
on his face reveals the idea might have crossed his mind.

Those thoughts of living out every lineman's dream will have to
wait. Beachum and Roethlisberger spent portions of practice
Wednesday working off to the side tinkering with different snap
counts trying to develop a rhythm.

Though coach Mike Tomlin indicated Beachum will have every
chance to hold onto the job for the rest of the year, the Steelers
signed free agent Fernando Velasco on Monday as insurance.

Velasco started 16 games for the Titans a year ago and was more
than a little stunned when he didn't make it out of training camp.
There are worse places to land than Pittsburgh, however, and he's
eager to get up to speed.

''I'm just going to work with the guys and see what happens,''
Velasco said.

Beachum isn't looking over his shoulder, though. Instead, he's
working side by side with Velasco. It's part of the Steeler
Way.

''There's a brotherhood in the NFL,'' Beachum said. ''He's
giving me tips. He's played the position longer than I have. So
it's one of those things, we're making each other better.

''At the end of the day, whoever the best guy is going to
play.''

--

NOTES: Roethlisberger missed the first half of practice due to a
personal matter but returned in time to finish most of the team
portion ... TE Heath Miller is keeping an ''open mind'' about
playing against the Bengals. Miller went through a full practice
for the first time since injuring his right knee last December.

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